Famous Freemasons

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The Freemasons are a secretive organisation tracing their heritage back to the 14th century and as a membership guild for the stone masons of the era. The degrees of which people up through the organisation retain the medieval system: Apprentice, Journeyman or Fellow and Master Mason. Throughout history there have been some fascinating and unusual figures invited into their ranks. Here is a selection

1. Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin

Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin
Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin

Famous as being the second man to walk on the moon, he was part of that famous inaugural manned flight to the Earth’s one and only satellite in 1969. Millions around the world tuned in to see Neil Armstrong step foot on the moon and then make that famous ‘One small step for man’ speech. He was born in 1930 and today is a regular at autograph fairs around the world. Aldrin is a member of the Montclair Lodge of Freemasons #144 of New Jersey.

2. President James Buchanan

President James Buchanan
President James Buchanan

The USA’s 15th President (1791-1868) served as the President immediately before the Civil War broke out. He would be in London for most of his Presidency so was not exposed to the political turmoil in the country. He is largely seen as responsible for the outbreak of Civil War having alienated both sides – he was a northerner with strong southern sympathies. As a Freemason he was Master of Lodge #43 in Lancaster, PA and District Deputy Grand Master of the PA Grand Lodge

3. Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns

Robert 'Rabbie' Burns
Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns

The famous Scottish poet whose life is celebrated every year on the 25th January as ‘Burns Night’, has become the iconic Scottish literary figure. He wrote such national treasures as Address to a Haggis and most famously, the song Auld Lang Syne which is sung all over the world at New Year. It is said that his forward-thinking and championing of the Enlightenment came from his background as a Freemason and he saw it as one of the saving graces, a possible cure for society’s ills

4. Nat ‘King’ Cole

Nat 'King' Cole
Nat ‘King’ Cole

One of the most surprising on this list is veteran crooner and the main staple of Christmas music. Starting out as a jazz pianist, he shot to fame as a lead singer for his distinctive voice that is still enjoyed across the generations. He became a freemason early on, entering into the Thomas Waller #49 club in California around the time he became famous. The Lodge itself was named after another famous black Freemason ‘ Fats Waller. Cole died of lung cancer in 1965

5. Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle

The creator of Sherlock Holmes, largely regarded as almost single-handedly creating the crime thriller genre, writer of The Lost World (and other stories featuring the central character of Professor Challenger) wasn’t just famous as a writer, he was also a physician. He was though most famous as a writer and produce a number of plays and poems and popularised the mystery about the Marie Celeste. He came to Freemasonry through his interest in the occult. In 1887 he joined a Lodge and The Society for Psychical Research

6. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

The current ‘King Consort’, husband to the Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Elizabeth II was born in Greece in 1921 to both Greek and Danish royal lineage. However his family was exiled while he was still a baby. After WWII he became a naturalised British citizen, converted from Greek Orthodox to Anglicanism and surrendered his Danish and Greek titles in order that he could marry into the British royal line. He also adopted the surname ‘Mountbatten’. He became a Freemason in 1952.

7. Don King

Don King
Don King

Another surprise entrant on the list is the famous Boxing Promoter with the wild hair. He shot to global prominence in the 1960s promoting such legendary fights as Rumble in the Jungle and Thrilla in Manila. He has promoted some of the biggest names ever to grace the sport ‘ and most of them ended up suing him. In 1987 he became a member of the Prince Hall Freemasons (an American group founded in the 19th century whose members are almost entirely black).

8. Pat Morita

Pat Morita
Pat Morita

Most people know him as Mister Miyagi ‘Wax on, wax off’ or as Matsuo from comedy series Happy Days. At the age of two he developed spinal TB and spent the next nine years in an out of hospital. When he walked out of hospital he was taken straight to an internment camp for Japanese-American families during WWII. As well as being a Freemason, he was also a Shriner ‘ a mystical group dedicated to charity. Before a person can become a Shriner, they must first become a Freemason

9. Ernest Shackleton

Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton

The late 19th and early 20th century was the golden age of exploration. He led three separate expeditions to the Antarctic. At the end of the race to the pole of 1911, he set out on what would be a challenge of crossing the entire continent ‘ the trip ended when the ship became stuck and he would make several more attempts before dying of a heart attack during a final mission. Not particularly famous during his life being lost in amongst a number of others, he shot to fame after his death for several heroic rescue events. He joined the Freemasons in 1911 and rose to Master Mason two years later. He died in 1922

10. Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde

The famous hedonist writer, poet and playwright only ever wrote one novel but it is considered a great classic work The Picture of Dorian Gray. He had always had his heart set on being a classicist but also became side-tracked into philosophy. It is said that he was attracted to the pomp and ceremony of the Freemasons and was elevated to Sublime Degree of Master Mason at a Lodge in Oxford. He felt torn though when considering converting to Catholicism between 1877 and 1878, realising that conversion would mean having to give up the Freemasons. He decided against it though.

Conclusion

There are many conspiracy theories about the nature of the Freemasons, what their practices entail, how and who they recruit and to what extent they affect our public lives. Anachronistic they might be, but some of the claims made about them seem highly bizarre and are likely to be untrue

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